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Daniel
The phone’s incessant ringing woke Daniel from his slumber. Grumbling, he pushed off the blanket, sighing when the phone went quiet. He flopped from lying on his side to his back and stared at the ceiling. Starting from when he’d arrived at the underground fight club, he recalled the previous evening. He wet his lips as he brought the memory of Theo’s chiseled body to the forefront of his mind, then bit back the taste of bitter bile when he remembered how Bruno smashed a fist into the angel’s face.
Daniel’s phone rang again. He swung his feet down from the couch to the floor as he swiped up the offensive bit of technology. It was too damn early for people to be calling him. Or maybe not… Seriously, how had he slept past noon?
He didn’t recognize the number and almost swiped it away when he noticed the same number had tried reaching him four times already. Fear coursed through him. Had something happened to his sister? With his heart in his throat, he answered. “Hello? This is Daniel.”
“Oh good. I was starting to think I was given the wrong number,” a deep, yet melodic voice said from the other end of the line.
Since the person didn’t immediately identify themselves as a medical professional or police detective, Daniel dialed down his anxiety. “Who’s this?”
“It’s Judah. Jay. We met the other day at Mary’s. We were wondering if you could meet us at the salon this afternoon. I would have said this morning, but as it’s already past twelve…”
“I just woke up. It was a long night.” Daniel rubbed his forehead, picturing the dark-haired hulk who’d gotten pushed around by his much smaller mate.
Jay snickered. “I’ll bet. Ouch! Hey. Don’t hit me.”
There was rustling on the line and a new voice spoke. “Daniel, this is Ari. We also met the other day.”
“I remember.” Ari had been the friend of Theo’s who had given him the cash to give to Troy. “Sorry I never made it to that meet-up. I hope you all didn’t wait long.”
“It’s fine. We knew where you were.”
“Because Theo told you?”
There was a pause before Ari answered with a whispered, “Yes,” leading Daniel to believe that the guy was lying. It occurred to him that maybe he wasn’t supposed to know about Theo and the other angels. Hey, if they wanted to keep their secret while they helped him get free of the demon, that was fine with him.
His phone pinged, signaling another incoming call. Glancing at the screen, he sighed seeing Troy’s name. He returned the phone to his ear. “Hold on a sec. Boss is calling.” He put Ari on hold and answered, “This is Daniel.”
“Dan!” Mr. Troy shouted. “You gotta get your boy down here tonight. I’ve got a great match lined up for him. He’ll make a killing whether he wins or not. Get him here by seven. He’s going on for the second match.” Troy hung up without waiting for Daniel’s reply.
“Fuck,” Daniel spat. He hadn’t had a chance to even say he’d do his best to get Theo there. He cursed again, then toggled the line back to Ari. “Troy wants Theo to fight again tonight. I have to have him there by seven, but I have to be there by five to get the doors open. Can you get a message to him?”
“Yes. We can do that. Come to the salon first, though, before you have to head in. At four?”
“Are you sure? If Mr. Troy finds out…” Daniel didn’t want to think about what could happen to Mary and Joe if Troy found out they were helping him and the angels destroy the demon and his organization.
“Don’t worry about us. See you in a couple of hours?”
“I’ll be there.” Daniel hung up and stared at the boring home screen on his phone. He felt like he could almost reach out and touch freedom, but he stopped himself from hoping. So much rode on Theo’s and the angels’ assistance. He wasn’t one to pray, but he walked to the window, dropped to his knees, stared out into the clear blue sky, and spoke his heart to God.
On the Fifth Night of Chanukah
Wednesday: Sunset
Daniel
Just past four in the afternoon, with the sun low on the horizon, Daniel pushed his way inside the beauty salon a block off the way from The Walk, Atlantic City’s nod to outlet shopping. He usually avoided the multi-block area and its plethora of patrolmen and watchful security officers unless he didn’t have a choice. Case in point: under Troy’s instructions or whenever his sister visited.
The door to the salon chimed his arrival. Mary frowned, even as she gave him a somewhat cheerful welcome for the sake of her other customers.
He held up his hands. “Ari asked me to meet him here.”
“Have a seat then, and mind your manners.”
He nodded politely and sat away from the other patrons. As he waited, he studied the pictures on the walls of various hairstyles. Daniel tugged off his beanie and ran a hand over his basic haircut. Mr. Troy had a guy, so they all used the same person. Once a month, they all got their hair cut, whether they wanted one or not. Troy paid; they tipped. Daniel saw it as a benefit—probably the only decent thing Troy did—considering his financial situation. With winter’s clutches grabbing hold of South Jersey, he was looking forward to growing it out a little more.
Mary finished up with the woman seated in front of her, then cashed her out. She put her hands on the counter and stared at him. Daniel squirmed under her intense scrutiny. “That style doesn’t suit you one bit.”
